Roma are dealing with FFP restrictions, but owner Dan Friedkin still managed to close deals that seemed impossible and Romelu Lukaku is only the last one on the list.
The American businessman acquired the Giallorossi from James Pallotta after the peak of the COVID pandemic in late 2020 and his first big move came at the end of the season when he replaced the departing coach Paulo Fonseca with José Mourinho.
It was a widely unexpected move from Friedkin. The announcement came out of nowhere on May 4, 2021. Mou signed a three-year deal with the Giallorossi, reigniting the passion of fans who will sell out the Stadio Olimpico for the 35th consecutive game this coming Friday against Milan.
Mourinho had been sacked by Tottenham barely a month earlier and Spurs agreed to pay part of his salary during his first season in the capital. Multiple sources reported the North Londoners gave €9m for Mourinho’s first season in Rome, while the Giallorossi have been paying €7m per season until 2024.
Tammy Abraham followed the Special One at the Stadio Olimpico. The Englishman remains Roma’s biggest purchase in the Friedkin’s era as he joined Roma for €40m later that summer, replacing the departing Edin Dzeko. Roma were unable to complete more big-money transfers after Abraham, being forced to stick to Financial Fair Play restrictions.
Director Tiago Pinto explained the situation in one of the few interviews released with Italian papers earlier this year.
“Due to UEFA restrictions, we can’t identify the players we want and tell the owners to make an extra effort,” Pinto said in January.
“Within the settlement agreement, there is a parameter to respect, it’s called transfer balance. Basically, for every transfer window, the cost of players in the A UEFA list can’t be superior to the cost of the same list in the previous season. For costs, we mean the players’ contracts, the entirety of bonuses, the transfer fee, commission and amortisation.”
That’s why Roma only spent €7m in the summer of 2022, after seeing Mourinho’s men lift the Conference League in the Portuguese’s first season in the capital. However, despite a low transfer budget, Roma managed to buy Paulo Dybala that same summer. The Argentinean was available as a free agent after the end of his contract with Juventus and Mourinho’s presence at the club persuaded La Joya to sign for the Giallorossi despite interest from other Serie A sides including Inter and eventual champions Napoli. Circa 10,000 fans attended La Joya’s unveiling in July 2022. Dybala repaid the trust on the pitch by scoring 18 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions, including one in a Europa League Final against Sevilla.
Fast forward to this summer, Roma needed a striker to replace the injured Abraham who is expected to return to action in January following a severe knee injury suffered in June. Lukaku slowly emerged as a concrete transfer target for the capitolines and when Chelsea agreed to send the Belgian out on loan, the deal materialised. The 30-year-old had spoken to Juventus and Milan after refusing to return to Inter in a sensational transfer twist and had also refused to move to Saudi Arabia, insisting he wanted to continue in Europe.
Roma managed to secure his signature on a €6m loan deal valid until the end of the season. They don’t have an option to buy and the player has taken a pay cut to begin his third spell in Serie A.
Big Rom received a hero’s welcome in the capital on Tuesday with over 5,000 Roma fans waiting for him outside Ciampino Airport. Lukaku was flown from London by Dan Friedkin who has a pilot’s licence. The Giallorossi owner may be dealing with financial restrictions, primarily due to the previous management, but despite a shortage of resources, he’s proved that he does not lack ambition.
Whether Lukaku’s temporary transfer will be enough to make Roma genuine title contenders remains to be seen, considering that Mou’s men collected just one point in the opening two Serie A games this term. Three years ago no fan would expect a Roma attack with Lukaku and Dybala, coached by Mourinho, but here we are. The mood in the capital is excellent despite a slow start and even if the Scudetto dream may be a bit of a stretch, a top-four finish is now a credible target for the Giallorossi.
Is this a Roma fan blog now?